Toklo let out an irritated snort. “And what are we going to eat, if the wolves take all the prey? No, it’s best that we get as far away from them as possible.”

Kallik could understand the sense in what he was saying, but she still wondered if Yakone would be able to travel. A pang of apprehension shot through her as she saw how still he was lying, the horror of her dream clinging around her like shreds of mist. Then as she looked more closely and saw that he was breathing steadily, she managed to relax a little.

“Which way?” Lusa whispered.

Toklo raised his head, listening to the howling, which seemed to have grown closer still in the few moments since Kallik woke. “They’re coming from over there,” he decided, raising one paw to point. “So we’ll go the other way. Kallik, get Yakone on his paws.”

“I’ll try,” Kallik muttered.

She prodded Yakone until he blinked awake and looked up at her blearily. “K’lik . . . what’s the matter?”

“Wolves,” Kallik replied tersely. “We have to move.”

It tore her heart to see the effort Yakone was making just to stand. When he was upright, his legs wobbled, and he would have fallen over again if Lusa hadn’t darted to his side and thrust her shoulder under him. Kallik supported him on the other side, and they followed Toklo up the side of the hollow. Kallik winced at the sound of their pawsteps; it was impossible to walk silently and still help Yakone.

But the howling of the wolves was louder still. Maybe they can’t hear us when they’re making that racket, Kallik hoped. Their harsh, rotten-meat scent washed over her, making her retch. She couldn’t smell anything else now, which meant the wolves must be almost upon them.

“Here!” Toklo was beckoning from the top of the hollow, pointing to a bramble thicket. “In here—hide!”

Lusa and Kallik shoved Yakone into the brambles and plunged in after him, the spiky tendrils tearing at their pelts. Toklo followed them and turned to see what the wolves were doing. Kallik peered over his shoulder in time to see several rangy gray shapes slinking down into the hollow where they had been resting moments before. They snuffled around the bushes, letting out yelps and growls as they padded to and fro.

“They must think we have prey,” Toklo whispered. “And now they’re picking up our scent.”

Kallik’s heart sank. We can be tracked now—and if Yakone’s paw starts bleeding again, we’ll leave a clear trail for those mangy creatures to follow. She shivered, remembering how the coyotes had tirelessly tracked them down. And if they won’t leave us alone, we will have to fight them for prey!

Chapter Four - Lusa

CHAPTER FOUR

Lusa

“Follow me,” Toklo whispered. “This way!”